Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month 2024
Each March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), and its DD Council partners, including the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD), work together to create an outreach campaign that highlights the many ways in which people with and without intellectual or other developmental disabilities (I/DD) come together to form strong, diverse communities.
The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with I/DD in all facets of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with I/DD still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live.
The theme for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM) for this year is "A World of Opportunities." It's a time to celebrate people and work together to remove obstacles. The goal is to build a community that’s committed to creating a world where everyone can do well and succeed. Join us in making a world where all kinds of people have the chance to thrive!
Are you on Facebook? Instagram? Any other social media platforms? If so, we encourage you to share your resources and your own information to support DD Awareness Month! When sharing information on social media, remember to use one or all of these hashtags: #DDAwareness2024, #DDAM2024, #AWorldofOpportunities, #NewOpportunities
Read below for more information, events and other announcements for this year's DDAM.
North Carolina Governor Cooper Issues DDAM Proclamation
February 28, 2024: The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) hopes you will join us in recognizing and celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! We appreciate Governor Roy Cooper issuing a proclamation declaring March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in North Carolina.
The proclamation, in part, states that almost 200,000 people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities live across all 100 counties in North Carolina; and the responsibility of all North Carolinians to recognize and acknowledge that it is not disability, but unjust societal barriers and attitudes that can keep individuals from realizing their full potential at school, work, home, and/or in their communities.
Read the entire Governor's Proclamation:
NCCDD launches its My Story Matters Campaign during DDAM
March 1, 2024: My Story Matters is a new campaign of NCCDD to learn about North Carolinians with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) across the state and the issues that are important to them.
Your story is important! Your story is also a form of advocacy. Sharing your story with us can help us advocate together with key decision makers, lawmakers, and people who can help us make life better for people with I/DD like you in North Carolina. And if you agree, your story might be shared on our social media platforms!
Learn more and submit your story!
En español
My Story Matters es una nueva campaña de NCCDD para aprender sobre los habitantes de Carolina del Norte con discapacidades intelectuales y otras discapacidades del desarrollo (I/DD) en todo el estado y los temas que son importantes para ellos.
¡Nuestra historia es importante! Su historia también es una forma de defensa. Compartir su historia con nosotros puede ayudarnos a abogar junto con los principales tomadores de decisiones, legisladores y personas que pueden ayudarnos a mejorar la vida de las personas con I/DD como usted en Carolina del Norte. Y si estás de acuerdo, ¡tu historia podría ser compartida en nuestras plataformas de redes sociales!
¡Obtenga más información y envíe su historia!
DHHS and NCCDD Issue Joint Press Release Recognizing DD Awareness Month
March 11, 2024: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a press release in recognization of Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month. The press release stated that "NCDHHS and the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities are dedicated to coming together to address societal barriers so individuals can reach their full potential and be fully included in their communities."
Read the full press release, including comments from NCCDD Executive Director Talley Wells.